- Alan Davies, Jonathan Creek, TV, 1997-2004. The future Dr House, was keen on the titular magic maker (designing tricks for magicians) who solved baffling murder mysteries on the side. Except he couldn’t fathom why he would overcome his reluctance to tackle such cases. Angus Deayton, Nicholas Lyndhurst and two of The Young Ones (Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer) were also considered. The stand-up comic won simply by arriving for his test in straggly hair and an old duffle coat – “the closest match yet to Creek as we’d always seen him,” said creator David Renwick.
- Martin Freeman, The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, 2005.
- Frank Langella, Superman Returns, 2006.
- Michael Keaton, RoboCop, 2012. But why would a top TV star like Laurie, akaHouse, MD, accept such a trifle, the chief of the facility creating the titular robotic force… and in another of Hollywood’s mouldy re-moulds. What’sthat? Oh, I’m sorry… a “reimagining.”
- Glenn Close, Guardians of the Galaxy, 2013. Two Brits, Laurie and Alan Rickman, were on the Marvel wish list for Nova Prime Ifani Rael, chief the Nova Corps, protecting citizens and keeping the peace. Then, Close cropped up… “Nobody had to woo me! I’ve always wanted to be in a movie like this. To me, it’s the most fun to play something like the Judi Dench/Samuel L Jackson role, where I’d be the head of all the peacekeepers in the galaxy. I didn’t hesitate for a moment!”
- Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager, TV, 2016. “I wanted to play your part,” Laurie told co-star Tom Hiddleston at a getting-to-know-you lunch. One of the greatest John le Carré fans (hey man, join the queue!), Laurie tried to win the screen rights when the book came out in 1993. Some 23 years later (!), Laurie became the vile Roper with Hiddleston as the titular Pine, once in lap of Brad Pitt, and before him, Dustin Hoffman. Le Carré loved the award-winning BBCmini-series. Took him back to the 70s’ glory days when the BBC’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Soldier Spy was being “magicked” to life by Alec Guinness. No higher praise!
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 6